Manly Wharf: Historic tourist hub to get million-dollar facelift

Sydney’s historic Manly Wharf is getting a million-dollar cosmetic and safety makeover as part of the ongoing revamp of the famous tourist and commuter hub. See what’s planned.

The long-term leaseholders of Manly Wharf are spending close to $1m to give a more attractive, and safer, look. Picture: CBRE

Historic Manly Wharf is getting a $1m cosmetic and safety upgrade as part of a major ongoing revamp of the famous tourist and commuter hub.

The wharf’s long-term leaseholders will install glass or perspex panels to the existing ship railing-style steel fencing around the popular Harbourside precinct to make it difficult to climb over.

Brisbane-based Artemus Group, which in 2023 bought the leasehold to the wharf for $80m — and the adjacent Wharf Bar for $30m — originally wanted to replace the steel railing with retractable glass panels.

But the NSW Heritage Council ruled that the glass balustrading idea was “not sympathetic to the historic and aesthetic values of Manly Wharf”.

“(It) has the potential to adversely affect the character and setting of the item,” the Heritage Council stated in a letter to Northern Beaches Council.

The current “ship railing” steel fencing around Manly Wharf, will have glass or perspex screens attached to make it more difficult to climb over. Old wooden and concrete seating will be removed. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

In planning documents, Manly Wharf was described “together with Circular Quay, as the only substantial older style ferry wharf surviving in Port Jackson”.

The new $970,000 development application, originally lodged with Northern Beaches Council last year, was referred to the independent Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel because it proposed the demolition of heritage items, including the railings.

An artist's impression of the changes to balustrades and awnings on Manly Wharf. Picture: Supplied

The planning panel has approved the DA, subject to Artemus coming up with a “creative design” that incorporated a “transparent Building Code of Australia (BCVA) compliant panel with the existing balustrade design style”.

“The Panel understands the importance of retaining the character of the existing balustrade.”

In a statement of environmental effects, lodged with the DA, Artemus’ planning consultants stated that there had been “safety incidents involving people falling or jumping from Manly Wharf, either accidentally or because of intentional and unsafe behaviour”.

A plan showing the locations of where changes to balustrades and awnings on Manly Wharf will occur.

As part of the approved DA, Artemus can also extend the deck area outside the Felons pub to accommodate a kids’ play area, complete with a large boat.

The children’s play area, which documents state will make the pub “more inclusive and family-friendly”, will have a “nautical theme” and be surrounded by pygmy date palms.

An artist's impression showing the new boat playground at Manly Wharf. Picture: Little Boat Projects

The boat playground at Manly Wharf will be similar to the playground at Artemus Group’s Howard Smith Wharves complex in Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

When Artemus took over the Manly Wharf leasehold, its co-founder Adam Flaskas said it was looking forward to “breathing new life” into the site.

He vowed to make the area more inviting for locals, commuters and tourists by “revitalising the waterfront precinct into a premium hospitality destination, creating a thriving community and cultural hub for kids and families to grown-ups and everything in between”.

The latest planning approval comes just three months after Artemus was given the go-ahead for $13m plans to transform the former old Aldi supermarket site at the wharf into a microbrewery, with bars and an eatery that can accommodate 700 patrons.

Originally published as Manly Wharf: Historic tourist hub to get million-dollar facelift